ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. press — a publisher
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. press — to push
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. fine — high quality
  8. tube — the underground
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. squash — the sport
  11. snap — to click
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. squash — to crush
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. game — a match
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. track — a path
  20. press — newspapers
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. tube — a container
  23. fine — all right
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com